| A good roping saddle is an essential part of any | | | | where he still makes his famous saddles. |
| cowboy's tools of the trade. But not just any saddle | | | | Don King |
| will do. Roping saddles have to be made from the | | | | Don King was born in Wyoming in 1923. He began |
| finest materials available, and be rugged enough to | | | | learning the saddle maker's trade at age 14. By the |
| take punishment day after day. | | | | time he was 15 he was selling small hand crafted |
| There are some saddle makers that stand out from | | | | leather goods he had made. In the 1940's King became |
| the crowd. Their saddles have stood the test of time | | | | an apprentice to expert saddle maker Rudy Mudra. In |
| and are a cut above the crowd. | | | | 1957 King became a full time saddle maker. Although |
| Edward "Skeeeter" Hembry | | | | King became more well known for his superbly |
| This Virginia saddle maker started making saddles in | | | | crafted trophy saddles than roping saddles, he is well |
| the mid 1960's. He opened his first shop in Fairfax, | | | | known for his distinctive tooling designs. |
| Virginia in 1970. In 1978 he moved his operation to | | | | His best known saddle design is known as the |
| Warrenton, Virginia and is still in operation there. | | | | "Sheridan style".This saddle in it's original design is a |
| Hembry designs, hand tools and stitches his famous | | | | classic high plains roping saddle. This saddle features |
| saddles and other leather gear. Known for high quality | | | | short, square skirts; a low cantle with a broad |
| and superb craftmanship, Hembry's saddles have been | | | | Cheyenne roll; large swells and a prominent horn; small |
| featured in movies and shows around the world. | | | | side jockeys; and relatively narrow fenders that are at |
| Billy Cook | | | | a 90 degree angle to the skirt. |
| The name Billy Cook is legendary in the roping saddle | | | | King also had several well known apprentices that |
| world. Cook first started making his world famous | | | | learned the trade under him including |
| saddles in Greenville, Texas. For years the Texas | | | | Billy Gardner, Chester Hape, and Bob Douglas. |
| saddle maker produced some of the finest roping | | | | These are only a few of the more prominent roping |
| saddles in the world. Cook designed and tooled his | | | | saddle makers who have influenced today's roping |
| own saddles and each saddle was hand sewn. The | | | | saddle designs. Dedication, commitment to quality, and |
| famous "Billy Cook Maker" stamp is known worldwide. | | | | innovation has made these names legendary. |
| In 1992 Billy Cook opened shop in Sulphur, Oklahoma | | | | |